Gokul Village and the Magic Fountain

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About the Holiday

The beginning of a new year is often filled with optimism and excitement. We feel motivated and inspired to try new things, make positive changes, and accomplish goals—not only for ourselves but for the world around us. Finding new and diverse books is a fantastic way to get started.

To honor today’s holiday, I’m posting a review for Multicultural Children’s Book Day, an annual event that takes place every January and, this year, culminates on January 27 with a huge online celebration. Throughout the month bloggers, reviewers, and individuals post reviews of children’s books that offer multicultural themes, characters, and stories that inspire young readers and introduce them to peers, situations, and ideas around the world. To learn more about Multicultural Children’s Day and follow the fun, visit their website and see the information below.

Gokul Village and the Magic Fountain

Written by Jeni Chapman and Bal Das | Illustrated by Charlene Chua

In a faraway land with fresh air and blue skies, Gokul Village was built around “a very special fountain.” The fountain had always provided the people of Gokul Village with “water to drink, wash clothes, and to splash friends.” But now the fountain had fallen into disrepair. The six orbs that circled the pool were dirty and broken, and the pipes were clogged so water could not flow anymore. “The fountain was lonely, except when six friends visited it.”

The friends met at the fountain on the way to school and gathered there in the afternoons. Zoya was an artist and loved to paint pictures of “how beautiful the fountain could be.” Christopher loved to build and had “plans to fix the fountain one day.” Riya was inspired by the music of the dripping water when she played her flute, and Dalai rode his bike faster and faster as he circled the fountain. Jacob would bring his own homemade treats, and Noelle experimented with the drone iDEA that she had designed.

When the friends played together they imagined that the fountain connected to all the world’s waterways and could take them on adventures. They joined hands and skipped around the fountain singing, “‘Waters of the world, connect us this day. Waters of the world, take us away.’” New Year’s Day was approaching, and the children were looking forward to the big village party. Soon, they would be helping to decorate the square. But one day, Dalai brought bad news. The mayor had canceled the party because the fountain—the centerpiece of the celebration—could not be fixed in time.

The friends were disappointed, but then Christopher had an idea. If they all worked together, he thought, they could fix the fountain in time. They were all in! Riya gave each person a job to do. Noelle was to research the history of the fountain. She and Zoya were to find new orbs to replace the old ones. Christopher was going to fix the pipes. Dalai could restore the broken decorative stonework, and Jacob would keep them all working hard with his snacks.

The next step was to convince the mayor that they could do it. Dalai, who loved talking with people, met with the mayor and got her approval. “If they could clean up the fountain, the celebration wouldn’t be canceled.” The kids went to work and in two days, the fountain was beautiful and the water flowed again. When the mayor came to look, she declared the New Year’s festival was “back on.”

Suddenly, “the fountain glowed with extra shimmer,” and the water glistened. The orbs shone and granted each child “an extraordinary gift. Notes from Riya’s flute transformed into singing birds.” Zoya could paint pictures in the air. “The beads of Dalai’s bracelet glowed with light.” Jacob’s backpack suddenly filled with all types of cooking ingredients and utensils. Christopher’s tools grew, and iDEA gained the ability to speak.

iDEA told Noelle to look in the heart of the fountain for its hidden words. There, the kids found an invitation: “The world is big, are you bold? / With my help you’ll soon know. / Say the words. Watch me glow / 1, 2, 3…and off you go!” Then each orb shone with a different color. The children each placed a hand on an orb and sang their song. All at once, they found themselves floating to places they’d always wanted to see. They “saw the jostling, jolly New York City crowd” and watched the ball drop in Times Square to celebrate “the arrival of the New Year.” They joined the Chinese New Year parade and “watched millions of people clap and sway together, hoping for happiness and good fortune for all.” Then they found themselves in the midst of the “dazzling glow of the Diwali festival in India, signifying the power of light over darkness.”

Just as quickly as they had left, the children were back at the fountain. To commemorate their magical adventure, the children decided to name the fountain “‘Friendship Fountain.’” But they had no time to waste! They made decorations inspired by all the celebrations they had seen and hung them in the town square. The next day, Gokul Village’s New Year’s celebration was the best ever.

The six friends were eager to have another adventure. Since Dalai had set the adventure in motion the first time, he whispered, “‘Friendship Fountain awake, Friendship Fountain activate.’” With that, Dalai’s bracelet glowed. Each child touched one of the fountain’s orbs and sang their song. As their voices soared into the sky, they felt themselves being lifted up too. “Where in the world would they go this time?”

There is much to entice young readers in Jeni Chapman and Bal Das’s enriching story of six friends who have their sights set on their connections to each other and the world and the positive things they can accomplish. As the diverse group of children is introduced along with their unique talent, readers will recognize their various personalities and be eager to learn more about them. The children’s enthusiasm is infectious as they team up to fix the fountain and are rewarded with magical gifts and a special power to travel the world. Organically incorporating ideas of inclusiveness, cooperation, compromise, volunteering, and teamwork through realistic dialogue, this story is upbeat and affirmative and one that readers will respond to.

Copyright Charlene Chua, 2017, courtesy of gokulworld.com.

Upon opening the book to the first page, children are welcomed into the heart of Gokul Village where homes, each representing a different style of world architecture, circle the fountain. The effect is immediately inviting while introducing the story’s theme of unity. Each of Charlene Chua’s vibrant illustrations is infused with a joyful harmony as the children of diverse ethnicities pursue their individual talents while embracing each other as friends.

For today’s children, the Friendship Fountain—decorated with symbols of love, direction, and world religions—is a fitting metaphor for the global community, and the friends are excellent role models. The children of Gokul have inherited a monument that they love, that can provide for their needs, and that gives them a place to come together. The children want to improve it for all the townspeople, and without hesitation, they go about fixing it. Images of the festivals the children visit are full of light and cheer, and the decorated square shows that there is room for all traditions.

Gokul Village and the Magic Fountain is the first in a planned series of books and other entertainment, including digital shorts, an animated series, and interactive games that prepare “children ages 4 -7 for success by fostering exploration, understanding and celebration of cultural diversity.” The book would be a welcome and relatable addition to home and classroom libraries to foster discussions, learning, and creative projects.

Ages 4 – 7

Big, Bold, Beautiful World Media, 2017 | ISBN 978-0692917381

Discover a portfolio of illustration work by Charlene Chua on her website.

Motivation and Inspiration Day Activities

World Friendship Bracelet

Like Dalai in the story, you can make and wear a special bracelet with colorful beads that represent your friends, your dreams, or various places in the world that you would like to visit.

Supplies

Wooden or plastic beads in six colors. For the center beads, get one of each color in a medium size. For the rest of the bracelet, get beads in a smaller size. (Dalai’s bracelet has red, purple, blue, yellow, green, and orange beads.)

Elastic, embroidery thread, or string

Scissors

Sewing needle with a large eye

Directions

Measure your wrist and cut a length of elastic, embroidery thread, or string, leaving it long enough to tie on the first and last beads (and make a loop clasp if using thread or string).

Thread the needle with the elastic, embroidery thread, or string.

Thread the first bead onto the elastic, thread, or string, leaving about a half-inch at the end.

Pull end of thread over bead and tie a knot with the end and the length of string.

Approximate the center of your bracelet and thread several small beads in a color pattern onto the elastic, thread, or string.

Thread the medium beads onto the bracelet in the same color pattern.

Follow with more small beads to finish the bracelet.

Tie the last bead onto the elastic, thread, or string.

To make a loop clasp on the end if using embroidery thread or string, loop the thread or string.

A World of Friends Word Search Puzzle

There are friends all over the world waiting to meet you! Learn the word for “Friend” in twenty-one languages and find them all in this printable A World of Friends Word Search Puzzle!

About Multicultural Children’s Book Day

Multicultural Children’s Book Day2017 (1/27/18) is in its 5th year and was founded by Valarie Budayr fromJump Into A Bookand Mia Wenjen fromPragmaticMom.Our mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in home and school bookshelves while also working diligently to get more of these types of books into the hands of young readers, parents and educators.